Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Casinos (Gaming Machines and Mandatory Conditions) Regulations 2025, and come into force on 22nd July 2025.

Extent

2.—(1) Regulation 4 extends to England and Wales.

(2) Subject to paragraph (1), these Regulations extend to England and Wales and to Scotland.

Amendment to the Gambling Act 2005

3.—(1) The Gambling Act 2005 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 172 (gaming machines), in subsection (5)(b)(i), for “twice” substitute “5 times”.

Amendments to the Gambling Act 2005 (Mandatory and Default Conditions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007

4.—(1) The Gambling Act 2005 (Mandatory and Default Conditions) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007(2) are amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph 2(1) of Part 4 of Schedule 1 (mandatory conditions attaching to small casino premises licences), for “500m²” substitute “250m²”.

(3) In Part 5 of Schedule 1 (mandatory conditions attaching to converted casino premises licences)—

(a)before paragraph 1, insert—

“A1. In this Part—

“extended converted casino premises” means premises in which gaming machines are made available for use in accordance with the extended gaming machine entitlement;

“extended gaming machine entitlement” means the entitlement conferred on the holder of a converted casino premises licence to make gaming machines available for use on the premises in accordance with paragraph 65(6)(za) of Schedule 4 to the Gambling Act 2005 (Commencement No. 6 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2006(3);

“larger converted casino premises” means premises in respect of which a converted casino premises licence has effect, and which—

B1. In this Part, in determining the floor area of the gambling area of premises, all areas in which facilities for gambling are provided on the premises must be taken into account.

C1. In this Part, where premises are required to contain a non-gambling area—

(a)the non-gambling area may consist of one or more areas within the premises,

(b)lobby areas and toilet facilities may be taken into account in calculating the non-gambling area; but the non-gambling area must not consist exclusively of lobby areas and toilet facilities,

(c)facilities for gambling must not be provided in the non-gambling area, and

(d)at any time during which facilities for gambling are being provided on the premises, each separate area comprising the non-gambling area, other than the lobby areas and toilet facilities referred to in sub-paragraph (b), must contain recreational facilities that are available for use by customers on the premises.”;

(b)in paragraph 1—

(i)renumber the existing text as sub-paragraph (2), and

(ii)before the renumbered sub-paragraph (2) insert—

“(1) This paragraph applies to all premises in respect of which a converted casino premises licence has effect.”;

(c)in paragraph 2—

(i)for sub-paragraph (1), substitute—

“(1) This paragraph applies to larger converted casino premises.”, and

(ii)omit sub-paragraphs (2) and (4) to (7);

(d)after paragraph 2, insert—

“3.—(1) This paragraph applies to extended converted casino premises.

(2) The premises must contain a table gaming area, the floor area of which is no less than the lesser of—

(a)half the size of the floor area of the gambling area,

(b)250m².

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4), in determining the floor area of the table gaming area, any number of separate areas within the premises may be taken into account.

(4) Any separate area that comprises less than 12.5 per cent of the minimum required table gaming area is not to be taken into account in determining the table gaming area.

(5) No gambling is permitted in the table gaming area of the premises other than gambling by way of table gaming.

(6) The premises must contain a non-gambling area, the floor area of which is no less than the lesser of—

(a)half the size of the floor area of the gambling area,

(b)250m².

4.—(1) This paragraph applies to larger converted casino premises and extended converted casino premises.

(2) The floor area of the gambling area must be less than 1,500m².

(3) Sub-paragraph (2) does not apply to premises in which the floor area of the gambling area of the casino was 1,500m² or greater on 12th May 2025 provided that, after that date—

(a)the size of floor area of the gambling area is not increased, and

(b)the converted casino premises licence is not varied under section 187 of the 2005 Act(4) so as to relate to premises to which it did not relate on that date.

5.—(1) This paragraph applies to all premises in respect of which a converted casino premises licence has effect.

(2) A notice must be displayed in a prominent place in each part of the premises used for providing facilities for betting, setting out the terms on which persons are invited to bet on the premises.

(3) The maximum number of separate betting positions that may be made available for use at any time in relation to betting machines is determined in accordance with the table below.

Review

5.—(1) The Secretary of State must from time to time—

(a)carry out a review of the regulatory provision contained in these Regulations, and

(b)publish a report setting out the conclusions of each such review.

(2) The first report must be published before the end of the period of five years beginning with the date on which these Regulations come into force.

(3) Subsequent reports must be published thereafter at intervals not exceeding five years.

(4) A report published under this regulation must, in particular—

(a)set out the objectives intended to be achieved by the regulatory provision referred to in paragraph (1)(a),

(b)assess the extent to which those objectives are achieved,

(c)assess whether those objectives remain appropriate, and

(d)if those objectives remain appropriate, assess the extent to which they could be achieved in another way which involves less onerous regulatory provision.

(5) In this regulation, “ regulatory provision ” has the same meaning as in sections 28 to 32 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 ( 5 ) (see section 32 of that Act ).